Are Cannabis Edibles Coming to Maryland Soon?

Cannabis 2.0 products are set to hit the market soon in Canada. Many Canadian cannabis companies are also planning to launch cannabis-infused edibles, beverages, and concentrates in several of the US states in which marijuana is legal. Recreational marijuana isn’t legal in Maryland, but the state has been trying to launch edibles as part of its medical marijuana program. And there could be some good news on that front.

Maryland could soon see cannabis edibles

On December 9, a Maryland Matters article discussed that Maryland would quickly be passing final regulations for the sale of edibles in the state. Maryland legalized medical marijuana in 2013. However, the state didn’t launch its medical cannabis program until 2017. It still doesn’t allow recreational marijuana. However, in May, the Washington Poststated that the state had legalized cannabis-infused edibles. These edibles will specifically be part of the medical marijuana program. It took a while for the regulations to be decided.

According to the Maryland Matters report, the state will be passing the new regulations related to edibles by next week. However, tight regulations will surround the sale to ensure safer consumption. The proposed regulations include the following:

Edibles have to be in plain, opaque packages that are tamper-evident and child-resistant.

The packaging shouldn’t contain cartoons or graphics that could influence minors.

The shape of the edibles should be only geometric and shouldn’t be in any form, design, or flavor appealing to children.

Maryland took the time to form these regulations and specify that cannabis edibles were meant for medical—not recreational—use.

What are cannabis edibles?

Marijuana-infused food products—usually in the form of brownies, cookies, and chocolates—are called edibles. People who don’t like smoking or consuming cannabis in any other form usually favor edibles. A Washington Post article in February discussed how regulated edibles are a safer way to use weed. Often, however, determining the correct dosage or usage of marijuana as an ingredient can be confusing. The state’s emergency rooms have seen more cases of ingestion of high levels of THC related to edibles than other methods. When regulated, the correct level of THC could be maintained. Moreover, the effect of edibles lasts longer than smoking or vaping.

Residents in Maryland have been more interested in using cannabis edibles as medicine than smoking or using it as an ingredient. As marijuana contains THC, which causes the related high, residents are hesitant about getting the dosage right.

Additionally, Aurora Cannabis (ACB), Cronos (CRON), HEXO (HEXO), and Aphria (APHA) are planning on expanding into the edibles and beverage market. 2019 proved to be a dull year for the cannabis sector. Most cannabis stocks saw negative returns this year. Cannabis 2.0 could prove to be a ray of hope for the industry.

Marijuana legalization looks doubtful for Maryland in 2020

Last month, the Baltimore Sun reported that legalization looks hazy in Maryland in 2020. However, the support in the state is high. A Goucher Poll in February showed close to 57% of Maryland residents favored marijuana legalization. The survey also revealed the least support from conservative residents or Republicans. We’ve seen this in Texas and many other states.

In 2019, Maryland set up a Marijuana Legalization Workgroup. The group had to explore ways to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. It’s still investigating whether marijuana should be legalized. According to Bill Ferguson, a Democratic member of the Senate, “They still have many more issues to resolve before moving forward on legalization governing recreational use.”

It appears allowing the sale and usage of edibles is a step closer to recreational legalization in Maryland. However, it could still take a while. We’ve also discussed legalization in Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, Utah, and Florida.